


some nights i stay up

by darkemberdagger



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, i did not expect coming up with a summary to be this hard?, i love these two so much, it starts out angsty but then gets fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 15:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10597221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkemberdagger/pseuds/darkemberdagger
Summary: Lena worries and doesn't know how to talk about it. Kara understands.OR sometimes just taking a bath together is enough.





	

**Author's Note:**

> First writing attempt for this fandom and this couple. After months of not writing anything.  
> But I adore this ship too much to not do anything about it. Enjoy!

Lena is watching the news report on repeat. Watching Supergirl get manhandled by some giant alien with a vendetta. Watching her get thrown through yet another building.

Watching _Kara_ struggle to stand and fleetingly grab her side before she’s flying at the alien once more, any indication of injury gone, and using her legs to hold them down while she finally punches them into unconsciousness.

She doesn’t know why. But she’s watching it on repeat. She’s always been a glutton for punishment.

The live coverage had cut off just as a fully-covered DEO agent –their franticness easily identified them as Alex- had run to Kara’s side and was replaced with the 11 o’clock news anchor’s praises at how Supergirl had defeated the enemy once more. At how no matter how big the threat was, the Girl of Steel would do everything she could to protect those who depended on her.

_“That’s our Supergirl! Always coming through for us.”_

Lena wasn’t sure what turns her stomach more: how the people of National City thought nothing bad could happen to Kara or that she knows Kara would gladly lay down her life to protect them.

(She knows she’s being irrational. She knows Kara’s a hero, whether or not she’s in uniform. That she has the strongest sense of duty out of anyone Lena knows and that nothing could hold Kara back from helping someone if she’s able to. It’s part of what made Lena fall for her in the first place. She wouldn’t change a thing. Honest.

But when she watches Kara get slammed into the ground after trying to come to an agreement with the alien without violence, a tiny, shameful part of Lena admits that she also wouldn’t mind if Kara chose her own safety once in a while.)

Lena would never admit her own selfishness. So instead, she finishes her glass of wine and rewinds the news report for the fourth time.

She’s watching as Kara and the alien land on some poor citizen’s car when she hears a knock coming from her balcony door and whips her head towards the sound.

Kara’s outside, shy smile on her face as her feet touch down on the balcony floor and she opens the door.

“I didn’t want to scare you. And you really should lock that door in case-” Kara stops talking as soon as Lena’s in front of her, the sight of her a blessing after a bad day, and she smiles as arms wrap around her. “Hi.”

“Hi. Are you okay?”

Kara nuzzles into her neck and places a gentle kiss on her collarbone, delighting in the shiver it causes. “Better now.”

They stay like that for a while. Lena savoring the feeling of Kara, whole and well and in her arms, as Kara breathes Lena in, the post-fight exhilaration in her blood finally calming down as she focuses on the heartbeat that she swears she still hears when she sleeps.

Lena moves back, finally feeling like she could breathe for the first time since the fight started airing and she smooths out Kara’s windswept hair with one hand while the other goes to the side she saw Kara grasp at on TV. “What happened?”

There’s a blush on Kara’s cheeks and she shrugs. “Well, uh…” She gestures to the TV and Lena looks at the fight she forgot to turn off when Kara arrived, as the gray alien lands a strong hit on the area Lena’s hand is currently resting.

Her fingers twitch.

“Alex called me while I was patrolling and said there was an unidentified alien at the docks. They wanted me check it out; see if they were friendly.” A beat. “Clearly, they weren’t.”

Lena examines the area just above Kara’s left hip. “Does it hurt?”

“It’s kind of tender but nah, pain’s gone.”

They watch the fight play on for a few more seconds and Kara notices the slight uptick of Lena’s heart rate. She’s come to expect it. “Hey, look at me.”

Lena does, face composed except for her eyes that give everything away.

(At least, they do to Kara. They always have. The thought leaves a warm feeling in the superhero’s chest.)

“I’m okay.” She put her arms around Lena’s waist. “Really. It’s like any other time. In half an hour, it’ll be long gone.”

Lena strokes the hair at the base of Kara’s neck, fingers brushing against her cape, and the other woman sighs as her eyes flutter close. “Even then, I’m surprised you didn’t stay in the sun bed.”

“Alex wanted me to. But I wanted to go home.”

Her thumb traces Kara’s lip and Kara kisses it. “I’m glad you came by on your way there.”

“ _Lena_.”

She finds again has trouble breathing as the air rushes out of her lungs at Kara’s tone.

She’s never heard someone say her name like that before.

With _reverence_.

(Lex might have at one point. But amidst the ranting, the attempts on her life, the mass murder…she’s begun to doubt if any of his adoration while he was still her beloved brother was genuine. She’s not willing to figure it out now.

Or ever.)

And yet there’s Kara, looking at Lena with an almost exasperated fondness in her eyes as her grip on Lena’s waist tightens and she gently knocks their foreheads together.

“Lena.” Kara says again, her smile letting Lena know she _understands_. Which is more than Lena can say.

Lena wasn’t sure how to handle the rush of affection that welled up so strongly inside her so instead, she tilts her head up and kisses her.

It’s gentle at first, slow and sweet much like their first kiss, and it stayed like that until Kara’s tongue traces her bottom lip and Lena hums at the feeling. It becomes more heated then as tongues play against each other and hands start to wander, both of them giving into that electricity that had been there since they first met.

They pull back before too long, Lena biting Kara’s lower lip and pulling gently as she retreats.

(It’s a move that’s driven Kara crazy since the first time she did it. Lena does it whenever she can.)

It’s peaceful as they rest their foreheads against each other, the news in the background just forgotten noise.

“There’s a few of those sandwiches you like from the deli down the street in the fridge. Want me to run you a bath while you eat?”

“That’s a perfect sentence if I’ve ever heard one.” Kara laughs as she walks towards the kitchen before abruptly appearing in front of Lena again, the casual display of her powers something Lena has long gotten used to.

“Will you join me in the bath?’

Lena nips at Kara’s jaw. “Of course.”

“This just keeps getting better and better.”

=-=

 

Kara, now feeling much better after gorging on meatball subs, walks into the bathroom just as Lena shuts off the tap. She turns to Kara and smiles.

“Which candle do you want?”

Kara just stares.

“Kara.”

Still staring.

Lena huffs. “Fine. We’ll use the donut candle. Again. But next time we’re using a different one.”

Kara places her hand over chest in a fake wounded gesture. “I’m hurt that you don’t appreciate the donut candle as much as I do. It’s our thing.”

Lena places the candle against Kara’s chest and kisses her. “Sorry.”

“Okay.” Kara bops Lena’s nose lightly and laughs when Lena rolls her eyes.

“Do your thing, Supergirl.”

(Lena makes a mental note to stock up on more donut candles, watching the delighted face Kara makes as she uses her heat vision to fill the room with the overly sweet scent. The synthetic, sugary smell might give Lena a headache after a while but Kara’s right: donuts are their thing. She wouldn’t trade it for the world.)

They help each other undress, Kara unzipping the back of Lena’s dress and leaving open mouthed kisses on her shoulders, Lena unclipping Kara’s cape and finding the hidden spot which split the uniform in two.

They continue until they’re completely naked and then Kara holds her hand out for Lena’s and pulls the other woman against her when she gives it. They both moan at the contact, bodies flush together.

They stay like that for just a moment, it feels too good not to, and then Kara asks “So. Big spoon or little spoon?”

Lena raises an eyebrow. “It’s common knowledge that the injured party is always the little spoon.”

“I doubt I qualify as injured.” She pokes her nose into Lena’s cheek.

“I know but-” Lena’s voice wavers –she knows she doesn’t have to be embarrassed in front of Kara but old habits die hard- and she pauses to collect herself. “I…could I still…”

She doesn’t know to ask what she wants to ask but Kara, beautiful Kara, understands anyway.

Kara presses a light kiss to her lips. “Of course.” She holds her hand out for Lena to grab onto as the shorter woman climbs into the tub. Once she’s situated, Kara’s floats down in front of her.

Lena wraps her arms around Kara and whispers _showoff_ into the crook of her neck while Kara just laughs and settles her hands onto Lena’s as they both lean back.

They’re in the tub so long that Lena starts dozing behind her and Kara feels a bloom of guilt inside at inadvertently keeping Lena up when she knows the CEO has an early conference call in the morning. She takes a few more moments to enjoy the feeling of Lena’s body against hers and the hands that are wrapped tightly around her waist, even in sleep, and she squeezes them back.

(It took years for her to fully be comfortable in her ability to touch something without breaking it. Even now, when she was angry or upset or over-excited, she still loses a little bit of that control that took so long to master.

Her mind is constantly calculating how much pressure she needs to use. When she walks, when she lands, when someone bumps into her, when she sits, stands, fights, laughs, breathes-

It’s never ending. It’s _exhausting_ and on bad days, it brings her barely concealed grief about Krypton right to the surface.

It can also be worth it. When Winn or James high-five her, or when Alex hugs her or –Kara blushes- when her and Lena are having sex. There are definitely moments when the burden becomes a bit easier to bare too.)

The water is cold now. Not a problem for her but a big one for the human behind her. Kara gently moves Lena’s arms from around her waist and is out of the tub and dry in a second. She grabs a clean towel and kneels down next to the tub, shaking Lena’s shoulder.

“Let’s go to bed.”

Lena’s eyes open, slow at first and then wide as she hisses. “Remind me to never fall asleep in a tub again.”

Kara smirks. “You got it. Come on.” Lena grabs her hands and stands up, the towel already wrapped around her courtesy of Kara, who has already blown out the candle and opened the tub’s drain. Lena’s hands go to Kara’s shoulders to balance herself as she steps over the side and Kara takes that as an invitation to carry her.

Lena makes a surprised noise as her hands secure around Kara’s neck and then lays her head against Kara’s chest as she’s carried to the bedroom.

Lena’s never had a side of the bed before, but as Kara gently places her down on what is now very much Lena’s side and snuggles up next to her, she’s never been more grateful of the sheer domesticity of it.

Kara gathers the blankets over them as Lena deposits the towels next to the bed, not finding it in herself to care about the mess.

(Her mother would disapprove and if the thought brings Lena some satisfaction, you couldn’t blame her.)

Lena faces Kara at the same time she turns toward her and Lena’s hand automatically goes to Kara’s hip, her fingers tracing a lazy pattern onto the skin.

She does that for a bit until “Do you want to talk about it?”

She freezes. “Talk about what?”

“Whatever has been bothering you since I got here.”

Lena doesn’t want to talk about it. Doesn’t even know how to. So she turns away, afraid that looking at Kara will break her.

She’s wants to lie. To say she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. And if it was anyone else besides Kara next to her, she would have.

(If it was anyone else besides Kara next to her, she wouldn’t have these conflicting feelings of pride and terror to begin with.)

“I can’t. Not yet.” Why is her voice so quiet?

Kara scoots up behind her, arm coming around Lena’s waist and her nose in Lena’s hair.

“You don’t have to.” Kara whispers.

Lena intertwines their fingers and places their hands over her chest.

“I need to figure out what it even is that I’m feeling first. But-“ she kisses Kara’s knuckles, “I promise I’ll tell you when I do.”

Kara doesn’t push, knowing how difficult even that admission must have been for Lena.

“Thank you.” Kara tugs the blanket higher up around them. “What time is your call tomorrow?”

“Quarter to eight.”

“Better get some sleep, then.”

They do.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope it's alright


End file.
